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Hogs on road for extended spring break trip, starting with Texas

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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AUSTIN, Texas — After going 12-1 in a 13-game homestand, eighth-ranked Arkansas goes back on the road for spring break this week, starting with a two-game midweek series at ninth-ranked Texas on Tuesday night.

First pitch with the Longhorns is slated for 6:30 p.m. on the Longhorn Network.

Arkansas (17-2) recently finished off a three-game sweep of Missouri to open Southeastern Conference play, marking its third-straight year with a conference-opening sweep.

The Razorbacks have won six games in a row with the help of a pitching staff that is producing 11.3 strikeouts-per-nine-innings, which ranks second-highest in the nation.

Freshman Patrick Wicklander will take the mound for the third-straight week as the starter and helped contribute to that high strikeout rate.

In each of his last two starts, the San Jose, California, native has struck out eight batters over five innings and has only given up one hit with no runs.

Tuesday and Wednesday’s matchups with Texas (15-7) will mark the first time the two teams have met in Austin since the 2005 NCAA Austin Regional, a regional Texas won en route to its sixth National Championship.

However, Arkansas won all three meetings last season, including two games in Fayetteville and one to open the 2018 College World Series.

Follow live

Both games this week will be available on the Longhorn Network via the Watch ESPN app and WatchESPN.com.

Lowell Galindo, Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell will call the action. Mike Capps will have the radio call on the Razorback Sports Network.

Fans can listen to the radio call on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and via the Razorback Gameday app.

Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch. There will also be a live radio link available on ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Important links

Game 1 – WATCH | LIVE STATS
Game 2 – WATCH | LIVE STATS

Probable starters

TUE: (ARK) LHP Patrick Wicklander (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 29 K, 9 BB) vs. (TEXAS) RHP Jack Neely (0-0, 6.23 ERA, 6 K, 5 BB)

WED: (ARK) TBA vs. (TEXAS) TBA

Razorback Prime Nine

• The Razorbacks renew their Southwest Conference rivalry with two midweek games at Texas this week. It’s the second-straight year the two teams have faced in the regular season.

• Arkansas won all three games against the Longhorns a year ago, including the opening game of the College World Series. The Hogs have won four-straight over Texas dating back to 2012.

• Arkansas is coming off a 13-game homestand where it went 12-1, including a conference-opening series sweep against Missouri. It’s the third-straight year the Razorbacks have opened SEC play with a sweep.

• At 17-2, the Razorbacks are off to their best start since 2012 and have won 18-straight home series dating back to 2017.

• Freshman lefty Patrick Wicklander will be making his fourth start of the year Tuesday night. In each of his last two outings, Wicklander has thrown five innings and struck out eight.

• Arkansas pitchers have been the difference in recent weeks as they have allowed five or less hits and two or less runs in five of their last six games. The staff goes into Tuesday’s matchup with the Longhorns with a 4.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

• Closer Matt Cronin has made three appearances in the last five games, garnering two saves. He currently has six saves on the year, good for second in the SEC.

• Sophomore Matt Goodheart broke out of a slump in a big way last week against Missouri, going 4-for-8 (.500) with two multi-hit games, including two doubles in the series opener.

• Redshirt junior Isaiah Campbell recorded his third-straight outing of six or more innings and 10 or more strikeouts, becoming the first Hog pitcher to do that since Trevor Stephan in 2017.

Up next

Arkansas continues its road trip with a three-game series in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, facing the Alabama Crimson Tide starting Friday at 6 p.m.

Game two of the series will be on Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by the finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

 

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday

Tye Richardson
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday

John & Tye discuss Arkansas in the NIT, take calls on the basketball program, Daniel Gafford’s decision and more!

Arkansas gets bid to NIT, which feels more like desperation than inspiration

Andy Hodges
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It took less than three minutes after the announcement Sunday night that Arkansas will be a fifth seed in the NIT for the questions to start about Mike Anderson’s status.

Mainly because the NIT feels more like desperation than inspiration at this point.

The answer to the question is the only ones yammering are bulletin board regulars who don’t really know anything. The ones who DO know aren’t talking about it.

Assuming anybody, including Anderson and athletics director Hunter Yurachek, know themselves what’s going to happen.

The Razorbacks will play at Providence on Tuesday. The Razorbacks had submitted a bid to host an NIT game, but there won’t be a first-round game at Bud Walton Arena. Whether they get a shot at one later is completely dependent upon what they do against Providence, the No. 4 seed in their section of the bracket.

Since the Hogs dropped their first-round game in the SEC Tournament last week, the noise around Anderson’s job status increased dramatically in volume.

Every few minutes, somebody was saying Anderson and Yurachek had met … or didn’t meet. Then somebody would say they were negotiating his departure … followed by someone who said Anderson would get another year so naming the court for Nolan Richardson “wouldn’t be awkward.”

It can be dizzying if you pay attention to the noise.

The bottom line is I have no idea one way or the other if Anderson is going to have a job at Arkansas two weeks from now or not.

You will hear those that say he won’t be here because the game is on the road and not at Bud Walton, but that’s a little premature right now. If they win and things fall right, they could be at home if they keep advancing.

But you get the idea advancement for this team is important for Anderson.

Maybe for the first time in his career as a head coach, he’s got people wanting him fired. That didn’t happen at Alabama-Birmingham or Missouri.

While he has only been to the NCAA Tournament three times in eight years, the proper public relations announcement will be Anderson has gone to the postseason five out of eight years.

That will be factual, but probably not something a lot of fans want to hear.

For many that’s not enough. Going to the NIT twice in eight years certainly doesn’t make anybody happy regardless of what they will tell you.

Going to the NIT is usually something positive for a coach building a program.

When it’s the eighth year of a program it feels more like desperation.

Scroggins talks about strong start, joined by Opitz, Nesbit after win

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas pitcher Cody Scroggins talked about his early success, catcher Casey Opitz on his game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning and Jacob Nesbit on his base-running blunder that ended up okay in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Missouri.

Van Horn after 3-2 win over Missouri, then previewing week on road

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn talked with the media about the series sweep in first SEC matchup, then previewed the week’s games against Texas and Alabama on the road, which the veteran coach likes during spring break.

Hogs’ late rally falls short in final game of series against South Carolina

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas dropped the third game of a weekend series Sunday against South Carolina, 9-6, despite a sixth-inning rally that fell just short.

The Razorbacks trailed the Gamecocks, 7-0, headed into the sixth inning and outscored South Carolina 6-2 in the final two innings, but it wasn’t enough.

The Hogs finished the weekend 2-1, taking the series for the first time since 2010.

Arkansas (21-7, 3-3) gave up seven runs through four innings, only one of which was earned. Razorback errors gave up a big second inning that gave the Gamecocks the opportunity to score five runs on three hits and two Hog errors.

The Hogs left four runners on base through the first five innings before scoring its first run in the sixth. Freshman Taylor Greene kicked off the sixth inning getting hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch during senior Katie Warrick’s at-bat.

South Carolina (21-7, 1-5) retired Warrick and designated player Kayla Green before the Razorbacks fired up the engines and scored four runs on a two-run home run by Diaz, an RBI single by Linnie Malkin, and a bases loaded walk from Hannah McEwen. McEwen finished the day with one hit and one walk, reaching base for the 24th game in-a-row.

The Gamecocks scored two in the top of the seventh to widen the lead, and Arkansas seemed to be responding in the bottom of the inning, plating two more runs with a single down the left line by junior Sydney Parr that would score pinch-runners Keely Edwards and Sam Torres.

Senior Haydi Bugarin followed Parr’s hit with a single to third base that loaded the bases, and McEwen stepped up as the potentially game-winning run. McEwen connected on a pitch and sent it to the left side, but the third baseman made the play and the final out of the game.

Starting pitcher Autumn Storms recorded just her second loss of the season, giving up only one earned run through 3.1 innings of work. Relief pitcher Mary Haff entered in the fourth inning for Storms, dishing out six strike outs, recording three scoreless innings of work. Storms and Haff combined for 19 strikeouts over the weekend.

The Razorbacks will hit the road to Knoxville next weekend to continue play against No. 7 Tenneesee. Arkansas will face the Vols in a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m.

Friday and Sunday’s games will be available for fans to watch on ESPNU, while Saturday’s game will be aired on the SEC Network.

Connor’s first SEC start turns out okay after a loaded first inning

Andy Hodges
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Connor Noland didn’t exactly get off to a blazing start in his first SEC game Saturday against Missouri, but he came within one out of his first league win mainly because he avoided faceplanting in the first inning.

Noland walked the first batter, then had the bases full before he could get anybody out, which is when pitching coach Matt Hobbs came strolling out to have a conversation.

“That was to settle (Noland) down,” Dave Van Horn said later.

Hobbs wasn’t delivering a chewing-out. With a full-blown conference going on with all the infield in attendance, Van Horn had sent Hobbs out because he figure out Noland started the game a little too fired-up.

“There was no motivation in that talk,” Van Horn said. “There was just trying to get some things straightened out mechanically because he had good stuff.

Razorback pitching coach Matt Hobbs came to the mound in the first inning to settle starter Connor Noland down after he loaded the bases. PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

“He came out and he’s a strike thrower and he can’t get the ball down. Maybe a little too amped up, opening up that front side and kind of running away from the ball a little bit.”

Noland settled down. Friday starter Isaiah Campbell was the first player to greet him every time he came off the field and was talking to him several times in the dugout between innings.

Considering that Campbell faced that situation several times last year as the second-day starter following a Blaine Knight win on Friday, Noland knows enough to pay attention.

He sat down the Tigers for the next 3-2/3 innings before getting pulled with a runner on base.

“I was just trying to make it as far into the game as I could,” Noland said. “I’m not too concerned about the wins and losses column. We’ll let Kole handle that.”

That last part was about Kole Ramage coming in pitching three innings to get the win. Everybody had a good laugh about that.

Ramage got three innings, which allowed closer Matt Cronin to come in and do his thing.

“Whenever that guy comes in, you’re pretty confident in him throwing strikes and coming after people,” Noland said. “So, when you guy in there with any run-lead, putting Cronin out there you’re pretty comfortable he’s going to do the job.”

Van Horn said he may even have Cronin again Sunday, if necessary.

“We’ll see,” he said.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

All if it would be a completely different story, though, if Noland hadn’t been able to get out of that first inning Saturday. With Missouri starter TJ Sikkema starting and going the entire way, Van Horn knew later how big it was.

“It would have been bad for us to burn up a bunch of our bullpen guys when we’re trying to catch a guy like (TJ) Sikkema,” Van Horn said. “For Connor to give us an opportunity to get into the game a little bit, and then for us to get the lead and to win it, ended up being huge for us.”

The importance of locking down the series win Saturday is why Van Horn got Noland out of the game when he did.

“You don’t want to leave him in too long,” Van Horn said. “We had such a fresh bullpen and the games are so important that I think Connor would tell you he gets it.”

It sets up the all-important Sunday game, which may be the biggest game in any series because you win a series, sweep a series or avoid a sweep.

At the end of the year that ends up being huge.

Now the Hogs will face Missouri on Sunday with a really fresh group of pitchers against Missouri’s bullpen.

And you can bet we’ll see a lot of both.

Notes:

• Saturday’s game was 2:39, which is the second straight game that moved along rapidly. Friday’s game was 2:37.

• Attendance at the game, which featured maybe the best weather of the season, was 9,521, which was probably low. There were several fans before the game that had their tickets not scan, due to the machine. It looked like there were more than that.

 

 

Seven-run rally in sixth inning lifts Razorbacks to series-clinching win over Gamecocks

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas fired up the bats in the sixth inning Saturday with seven runs against South Carolina for a 7-4 comeback win to lock down the weekend series.

The Razorbacks scored on a bases loaded single by Katie Warrick, an RBI walk by Kayla Green, then back-to-back home runs by Ashley Diaz and Aly Manzo.

Trailing 4-0 in the sixth inning, the Gamecocks made a pitching change after Arkansas put Hogs on first and second with base hits from junior outfielder Sydney Parr and sophomore Hannah McEwen.

South Carolina’s Dixie Raley would load the bases with Razorbacks, dishing out a four-ball walk to freshman catcher, Taylor Greene. Warrick stepped up and took a 2-2 pitch into left field, dropping the hit behind third base, scoring Parr and leaving the bases loaded for Green.

Green notched her team-leading 11th walk of the season, good for another Razorback RBI. Arkansas would call on their elite pinch-running staff to add speed to the bases, bringing in Sam Torres, Keely Edwards, and Maggie Hicks.

The Gamecocks made another pitching change after, returning to starting pitcher Kelsey Oh. Oh would face only two batters, Diaz and Manzo. Diaz’ grand slam is her first of the season, but her second home run.

Manzo’s blast to left-field was her first of the season, making her the ninth Hog to hit one out of the park this season.

The Razorbacks retired the Gamecock order in the top of the seventh, walking away with their first SEC series win of the season.

Junior Autumn Storms entered in the third inning for starter Mary Haff and went on to hold South Carolina completely scoreless for the final four innings. Storms faced 16 batters and gave up only two hits. The win is the tenth of the season for Storms.

The win was the second of the series for Arkansas (21-5, 3-2), clinching the series after its 3-2 win over the Gamecocks on Friday evening (March 16). The series win if the first of the Deifel-era and the first since 2010 when Arkansas swept a double-header in Columbia.

The Razorbacks and Gamecocks will be back in action tomorrow for the finale of the three-game series. First pitch at Bogle Park is slated for 1 p.m. with live stream available online via SEC Network+, live scoring links for game three are also available at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Hogs’ players on Franklin’s big catch, Ramage, Noland’s pitching after win

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks’ players Christian Franklin had a big catch in the ninth to clinch game while Connor Noland started, got through some early trouble with Kole Ramage coming on and getting the win over the Tigers that opens the door for an opening weekend sweep.

Van Horn recapping Hogs’ big plays, solid pitching in 4-3 win

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn spoke with the media after clinching the opening SEC series of the year Saturday with a 4-3 win, despite a complete game by Missouri pitcher T.J. Sikkema.

Campbell’s strong outing paces Razorbacks to 2-0 shutout Friday night

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Isaiah Campbell was dominant once again as he racked up 11 strikeouts over seven innings to lead Arkansas to a 2-0 shutout over Missouri in its Southeastern Conference opener Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Campbell’s performance was just the start of the phenomenal wire-to-wire night by the entire Arkansas pitching staff that saw a combined two hits allowed, three walks and 15 strikeouts.

For Campbell, it was his third-straight outing of six or more innings and 10 or more strikeouts, becoming the first Hog pitcher since Trevor Stephan in 2017 to strikeout 10 or more in three-consecutive outings.

Arkansas (15-2, 1-0 SEC) opens conference play with a victory for the third-straight year and it’s the first conference-opening shutout for the team since beating Georgia, 1-0, in 1992, the program’s first official conference game as part of the SEC.

Campbell set the table, but it was Jacob Kostyshock and Matt Cronin that closed things out in the eighth and ninth inning. Both juniors worked an inning each and allowed only one baserunner. Cronin earned his fifth save of the year and has garnered a win or a save in six of his seven outings this season.

Arkansas’ hitters weren’t able to jump on Missouri starter Jacob Cantleberry too easily, but were able to scratch across runs in the first and fourth to be enough to give the Tigers’ junior his first loss of the season.

The Hogs managed five hits and two walks against Cantleberry and got the runs in via a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly.

Sophomore Matt Goodheart broke out of a slump in a big way, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored, an RBI and a walk. He had yet to tally a multi-hit game since the season opener against Eastern Illinois (Feb. 16) and was only hitting .241 coming into Friday’s game.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Nesbit extends on-base streak

Redshirt freshman Jacob Nesbit extended his team-best hit streak to seven games and on-base streak to 14 games with a lone single in the seventh inning.

Even though the single didn’t lead to any runs, he was still able to provide the key insurance run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Goodheart for his 11th RBI of the year.

Arkansas pitching staff rolls on

Over the last four games, Arkansas’ pitching has been virtually unhittable. With 55 strikeouts over the previous 35 innings and only one run allowed and no extra-base hits, the Razorbacks have already recorded half of the number of shutouts (3) that they had during the entire 2018 season (6).

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Razorback quotables

“He saw the ball well tonight. He squared up two or three balls, took a nice walk and really didn’t go out of the zone too much. He had a really good night.” — Coach Dave Van Horn on Matt Goodheart’s two-hit night

“I thought he was really good in the middle of the game. The fourth, fifth, sixth, those were his best innings. Just obviously throwing a lot of strikes, locating that fastball in and away, both sides of the plate. He had a couple of innings in there, maybe the fifth and the sixth, where he utilized his cutter a little more and his changeup and got a couple of quick ground balls. It seemed like he had them all rolling tonight.” — Van Horn on Isaiah Campbell seven-inning, 11-strikeout performance

“I saw a Friday night ace. He came out and he really just set the tone from the start of it. Having an ending of the year like last year, where he built some confidence off that and brings it into this year and he’s going to be a tough one every Friday night this year for whoever we’re playing. That’s just big if you can win game one of a series. We saw it last year with Blaine Knight and how far it got us. If Isaiah can do that again, it’s going to be huge.”  — Matt Cronin on Isaiah Campbell’s outing

“It’s just a Friday night in the SEC. We’re going to get their best on the other side. For me, I just got to take it one pitch at a time, and when I take it one pitch at a time, you just can’t dwell in the past if I’m getting behind on counts and stuff, and that’s just what I did tonight. It paid off really well.” — Isaiah Campbell on pitching in a tight game in the SEC

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Up Next

Arkansas and Missouri will return to the field at Baum-Walker Stadium for game two of the series.

The Hogs will be looking for their 18th-straight home series victory dating back to 2017 and will have first pitch at 2 p.m. on SEC Network+.

 

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